Elvis exhibit salutes 60 years of burning love

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The telegram sent by Elvis Presley to his parents in November 1954 gives a glimpse into the young singer's priorities and his optimism.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The telegram sent by Elvis Presley to his parents in November 1954 gives a glimpse into the young singer’s priorities and his optimism.

“Hi babies,” says the telegram, sent from Houston by Presley to his parents, Vernon and Gladys, who were in Memphis. “Here’s the money to pay the bills. Don’t tell no one how much I sent. Will send more next week. There is a card in the mail. Love, Elvis.”

The note is being displayed in an exhibit at Graceland, Presley’s longtime Memphis home that today serves as a museum and tourist attraction. The exhibit commemorates the 60 years since Presley cut his first record, That’s All Right, in July 1954. It was played on the radio days later, and some believe its release marked the birth of mainstream rock ’n’ roll.

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Miss., on Jan. 8, 1935. He moved to Memphis with his parents as a teenager and made the city his primary home. He lived at Graceland until his death at age 42 on Aug. 16, 1977.

The house opened as a museum in June 1982, and a complex built across the street houses permanent exhibits, two airplanes owned by Presley, gift shops and restaurants. The tourist attraction draws more than 500,000 visitors each year.

The temporary exhibit is in a room next to the house called the “annex.” Visitors with a VIP ticket (about $70) can walk the entire exhibit in about 15 to 20 minutes.

It details the trajectory of Presley’s career through his hit songs, such as Heartbreak Hotel, Jailhouse Rock and Suspicious Minds.

Along with the telling telegram, the “60 Years of Elvis” exhibit features jumpsuits worn on tour by Presley and an organ he played in his California home.

There’s also Presley’s copy of the original That’s All Right record — with Blue Moon of Kentucky on the other side — and the original contract he signed with RCA in November 1955, including a $5,000 bonus.

Despite the flashy garments, confident onstage persona and sex appeal, Elvis was not one to boast about money. Priscilla Presley, his former wife, said the phrase in the telegram asking his parents not to divulge the amount he sent is proof.

To this day, it remains unclear how much he actually wired.

“Enough to pay the bills, let’s just put it that way,” she said, laughing.